HOFC Sermon Archive: Ecclesiastes Part 3: The Search for Meaning II

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction & Prologue

2. The Search for Meaning I

3. The Search for Meaning II

Today is Sunday. November 3^rd, 2024

INTRODUCTION

We began looking at Ecclesiastes two weeks ago and discovering how this self-proclaimed preacher (Solomon) started his search for the meaning of life.

Scholars believe that Ecclesiastes was written near the end of Solomon’s life, which means it takes place after his falling away from God. We read in 1 Kings 11 that Solomon turned away from God and worshipped other gods because of his many wives.

700 wives & princesses, 300 concubines, and he did not heed God’s warning in 1 Kings 11:1-2 “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which Yahweh had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not go along with them, nor shall they go along with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.”

We read that God takes Solomon’s kingdom back because he did not heed God’s warning about being unequally yolked with foreigners. Solomon would eventually turn from God and worship the gods of foreigners, just as God warned he would.

This time of falling away is believed to be when Solomon began to search for meaning because his life was falling apart without the one true God, Yahweh. Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s exploration of meaning, with the conclusion being two-fold.

1 – Everything is vanity under the sun (on earth)

2 – The only meaning of life is to serve the living God, Yahweh.

Solomon sees the cycles of nature and life (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11)

He recognizes human wisdom is folly (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

And he sees you cannot find meaning when searching with human wisdom.

He compares this to grasping for wind (Ecclesiastes 1:17)

Human wisdom only brings much grief and sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18)

So he looked elsewhere. In the second chapter, we see Solomon pass up human wisdom for meaning to explore the gladness of the flesh (mirth), alcohol (wine), wealth, and great accomplishments, all to no avail.

Today, we will read about some of the things he explored in searching for the meaning of life in his exposition in Ecclesiastes 2.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE - Ecclesiastes 2:1-26

“I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with gladness, so that you shall see good things.” And behold, it too was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of gladness, “What does it do?” 3 I explored with my heart how to stimulate my body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize simpleminded folly, until I could see where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives. 4 I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made for myself gardens and parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made for myself pools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female servants, and I had homeborn servants. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.

9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor. 11 Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and striving after wind, and there was no advantage under the sun.

12 So I turned to see wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? 13 And I saw that there is an advantage in wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the fate of one becomes the fate of all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “As is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said in my heart, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man dies with the fool! 17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.

18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

20 Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, then he gives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his endeavor is painful and vexing; even at night his heart does not lie down. This too is vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him?

26 For to a man who is good before Him, He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good before God. This too is vanity and striving after wind.”

I. THE PREACHER (Solomon) TESTED LIFE

a. Solomon summarizes his search for the meaning of life

i. Gladness and pleasure are vanity

ii. Laughter is madness. Mirth accomplishes little, if anything at all

b. Solomon summarizes what he did in searching for meaning of life

i. He experimented with wine and folly

1. Which human wisdom said would bring meaning

2. He wanted to find ‘what was truly good for people to do under heaven (on earth) all the days of their lives to bring meaning.

ii. He made many things

1. He built houses, vineyards, gardens, orchards, pools

2. Ref. 1 Kings 7:1-12; 1 Kings 9:15-19

iii. He acquired ‘whatever’ his flesh desired.

1. Servants, livestock, silver, gold, treasures, singers, as well as concubines, trying to appease his flesh and find happiness and the meaning of life.

2. Ref. 1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:10,14,21,27; 1 Kings 11:1-3

iv. He became great among men and appeared ‘happy.’

1. Greater than any before him and still maintained wisdom

2. Having all his eyes and heart desired, even finding some enjoyment in his labor

3. However, it never lasted.

c. Solomon concluded

i. Upon deep reflection, looking back at all he did, he concluded.

1. “All was vanity, grasping for the wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:11b

2. “There was no profit (nothing to be gained) under the sun (on earth).” Ecclesiastes 2:11c

Though this conclusion may initially seem odd, Solomon admitted he did find joy in his labor (Ecclesiastes 2:10), but taking into account what he says next gives us an understanding of why Solomon hated life after his experiment.

II. THE PREACHER ENDED UP HATING LIFE

a. After reflection

i. He realizes Godly wisdom is better than folly

1. Old Testament ‘folly’ means

a. Being hasty in decisions (quick to please self)

b. Being self-sufficient

c. Never accepting instruction

d. Having unrestrained anger and outbursts

e. Persisting in evil

f. Being self-confident

g. Thoughtless of others

ii. Godly wisdom is better than human wisdom.

1. Like light is better than darkness.

2. The wise man CAN SEE where he is going.

iii. Human wisdom is vanity, and that wise man will die with the fool (himself)

1. And after death, there is no more remembrance of the wise than the fool

iv. Therefore, Solomon hated life because no matter what you do or accomplish “under the sun” (on earth), it is grievous and vain and won’t be remembered.

b. After reflecting upon his wealth

i. Solomon came to hate labor.

1. Because whatever he built or accomplished would be left to someone else when he died.

2. Who knows whether those who inherit it will be wise or foolish?

a. Ref. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam 1 Kings 12:1-19

b. Who was a vain and foolish man

c. In the 5^th year of his reign

i. 2 Chronicles 12:1: “When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of Yahweh.”

3. Someone else would rule over all his accomplishments and wealth, whether they were wise or vain.

ii. Solomon came to despair of all his labor ‘under the sun.’

1. Stating he thought it was evil to leave everything to someone else who didn’t work for it

2. In the end, what does one have for all their earthly efforts?

a. Sorrowful days, restless nights

b. Grievous work leading to vanity

So, trying to find the meaning of life in your labors, or wealth and possessions, leads one to hate life and all their earthly work.

However, Solomon states he kept his Godly Wisdom and, for the first time, evaluated and searched for the meaning of life through it.

III. THE PREACHER THEN ACCEPTED LIFE

a. Man should seek to enjoy the good in his labor

i. He draws this conclusion six times in this book

1. Ecclesiastes 2:24a

2. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13,22

3. Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

4. Ecclesiastes 8:15

5. Ecclesiastes 9:7-9

ii. Solomon is NOT promoting the fatalist view “Let’s eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Luke 12:19-20

iii. What he IS SAYING is God has given you the ability to find joy in your labors and enjoy what you do, WITHOUT making THAT the meaning of your life!

1. 1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

iv. God allows us to find joy in our labors, hobbies, and downtime as long as we never mistake those things for the meaning of life and why we are here on earth, under the sun!

b. The ability to enjoy one’s labor is a gift from God

i. Solomon sees in Ecclesiastes 2:24b it is a gift from God

ii. But ALSO, NO ONE CAN TRULY ENJOY LIFE WITHOUT GOD (Ecclesiastes 2:25)

1. To those good in His sight, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy – Ecclesiastes 2:26a

2. To the sinner, God gives the work of gathering and collecting - Ecclesiastes 2:26b

a. To give to the one who is good before God - cf. Proverbs 28:8

b. For the sinner, his work becomes (to him) vanity and grasping for the wind! - cf. Ecclesiastes 6:1-2

Yes, some who do not have the one true God in their lives have successfully accumulated wealth, but for what end?

CONCLUSION –

Finally, Solomon has introduced God and Godly Wisdom into the story.

Until now, Solomon has looked at ‘life under the sun’ without God.

Seeking the meaning of life through human wisdom, folly, madness, pleasure, and wealth

And even when successful, the realities of life and death cause one to hate life. Therefore, everything under the sun is vanity, vain, and pointless.

With the wisdom of God, Solomon recognized knowledge and joy given by God so that one could enjoy their labors, knowing that they in themselves are not the meaning of life.

The meaning and purpose of life will be developed further as we make our way through the book.

Since “God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight” (Ecclesiastes 2:26), what is it that pleases God or makes you good in His sight?

Hebrews 11:6 “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

The question to ask yourself today in light of this is, “Do I have the Saving Faith defined in the Book of James, and Am I diligently seeking God?”

Next week, we will examine some of Solomon’s "observations."

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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Ecclesiastes Part 3: The Search for Meaning II

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